Anyone want to play some Lighthouse Trivia? Lets see how good our knowledge of lighthouses are!

How to play/Rules:
1- Someone starts by asking a valid lighthouse related question.
2- Players can post additional questions for help if needed.
3- The CF member who answers it correctly most ask the next question after the CF member who asked it acknowledges it is the correct answer.
4- -----------------------------------
5- More rules to follow, if needed.

Anyone care to start? If not, I'll come up with one later today.

May I go first? I would suggest one more rule, the 'asker' should ask from memory also. Another game allowing research would be cool.
Okay, asking from memory: Name the first 8 west coast lighthouses.

^^^

I thought there were more than 8.

There were the first eight built by Gibbons & Kelly and then another eight by others. To begin the Lighthouse Board commissioned only the first 8 and they are still known as such. Since the first eight built are not the same as the first 8 lit, it might be easier to name the first 16.

Okay, I'll give it a shot. Perhaps you can tell us which of these are wrong and someone else can fill in the missing ones.
In no particular order....(and I assume you mean the first 8 U. S. lighthouses because you mentioned the Lighthouse Board)
1) Alcatraz
2) Old Point Loma
3) Point Wilson
4) Pigeon Point
5) Cape Meares
6) Point Fermin
7) Point No Point
8) Point Conception

1,2 & 8 are right. Yes, US lighthouses, I should have said.
Hint: All are Ammi Young cape cod lights, though 2 have the tower separate from the dwelling.

1. Alcatraz
2. Old Pt Loma
3. Point Pinos
4. Santa Barbara
5. Cape Dissapointment
6. Ft Point
7. Humbolt Harbor
8. Pt Conception

You are only missing one. Santa Barbara was one of the second eight and was a Cape Cod. As for the last..think eggs.

South Farrallon Island
I got them backwards. I thought SFI wasn't until the second batch.

For giggles here are the second batch of eight.
9. Santa Barbara
10. Point Bonita
11. Crescent City
12. Umpqua River
13. Willapa Bay
14. Cape Flattery
15. Smith Island
16. New Dungeness

Right on all 16!!!
Only 7 of the 16 remain,
Old Point Loma
Point Pinos
Farallon - part of the tower only
Crescent City
Cape Disappointment
Cape Flattery
New Dungeness

I really like the little Cape Cods. That would be my lighthouse to live in.
Your turn.

Good first question, but maybe a little hard for most of us to list from memory. Maybe a one lighthouse answer, or a year, or a state, etc.


Eric's turn to ask a trivia question.

Loon, maybe eliminate requirement #4? As Sandy posted elsewhere, memory is the first to go. Most in-depth questions are not going to be posted from memory, and most answers to those are going to be researched.

That said, who doesn't enjoy trivia questions about our favorite subject?

Judy

OK here goes. Between 1894 and 1907 there were 5 tall octagonal skeletal towers built to almost identical specs. Only difference was height of the towers. Today three of these towers remain. Cape Charles VA, Hillsboro Inlet Fl, and Rawley Pt WI. Name the other 2 towers of this design that no longer stand.

I'll give you a hint both towers meet the same fate.

OK by me to remove rule #4. As rule #5 says, "More rules to follow, if needed".

Rule #6 - Pay not attention to rule #4.

Is Cape Fear one of them?

I'm going to guess...Cape Fear and Parris Island.

They were Rawley class towers. Hog Is. VA and Cape Fear NC. Both were torn down. Cape Fear had been replaced by Oak Is. (the one with the 67 foot piles. I'm not sure why Hog Is. was demoed, not sure the island is still there. I didn't answer from memory, went to the article in Lighthouse Directory. Regarding, my previous question being difficult, I thought of the hardest one I could, since I was playing against the best.

^^^

I only got one of them. I've been to Bald Head Island, and I remember seeing 8 concrete slabs. Parris Island was a total shot in the dark.
I didn't even know about Hog Island. It was a really good question.

So, is it my turn now?

Yep Hog Island and Cape Fear are the missing "Rawley" class towers. Cape Fear was dynamited in 1958 when Oak Island came online. Hog Island was dynamited in 1948 as the island was rapidly eroding away. Wvlights0 you get the next question.

Lighthouse friends has a cool picture of what they call Cape Fear. Actually this is a picture of Hog Island.

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/capefearexplosion_2006.jpg

Which light was first destroyed by hurricane, then by storm, then Confederates, then erosion?

I was confused...I thought wvlights posed the question. lol I was wondering why he gave the second lighthouse.

Anyway, for the question...I have a question. Is there a lighthouse in existance near where this one was?

WVlights0 got the last question totaly right so this is the current trivia question.

Sanibel Island

Tybee, I am really looking forward to your question, your last was a toughie! And by the way, I'm a she.

No, not Sanibel. I don't think its ever gone down. You're in the right neighborhood though.

I wasn't asking why wvlights got the next question. I was confused because I thought she was the one who ASKED the question, and not Weasel.

Sorry for the confusion.

Cape San Blas
Technically it wasn't desroyed by erosion. After losing 3 lighthouses at this site, the fourth was built as a skeletal so that if needed, it could be quickly dismantled and moved. Such was the case when the sea encroached the lighthouse in 1918 and the lighthouse was disassembled then moved inland.

Cape San Blas is correct.
Roland, I thought there had been 5 towers here and the fifth was the skeletal tower that had been moved several times. I'll have to check that out, sorry if I misled.
Brandt Point had more lighthouses, but Cape San Blas was so unfortunate, so many times.
Roland, your question.

What was the final name of the very first lightship to travel through the Panama Canal? (I say final because it was known by a number of names. I'm looking for the name it had when it was destroyed. HINT, HINT)

New Bedford. LV-114, sometimes called "Relief".
New Bedford was it's last name, but it never served as "New Bedford".
Destroyed in 2007...in New Bedford. Torched for $10,000 for scrap metal.


Judy

Right you are Judy.
It was built on the west coast then traveled through the Panama Canal to serve at Diamond Shoals. After Diamond Shoals, it was used for relief around New York/New Jersey, then served as a security vessel during WWII. Also served at Pollack Rip and Portland, ME harbor before being decommissioned in the 1970's. Plans to turn it into a floating Coast Guard museum never panned out, so the lightship was sold to the city of New Bedford, MA. The city planned to use it as a tourist destination, but the ship fell into disrepair and sunk in the harbor. It was resurfaced, but when the city couldn't sell it, they sold it for scrap.
Judy's turn to ask a question.

Nice question , Roland. I got to see that lightship one more time just weeks before it was turned into scrap.

Okay, next question:

What US lighthouse tells the mariner without making a sound if he is heading east, west, north or south?

Judy

Cape Lookout?

Tybee, you are correct. Cape Lookout's daymark, the black & white diamonds show direction. The black diamonds point north & south and the white diamonds point east & west.

Your turn,

Judy

There's one in New England, I think in Maine, that the keepers house is aligned with the directions. One gable faces north, one faces south, etc. Is its Nubble? Is this even what you mean?

Wow...I just took a guess based on the uniqueness of the daymark. lol

Let me think of one...I'll have one in an hour or so.

There is a lighthouse that was directly in the line of fire during a fierce Civil War battle between ships and a fort. It didn't even suffer a single scratch from a stray cannon ball. It still stands today. Which lighthouse is it?

Old Point Comfort ???

Nope...Old Point Comfort certainly did witness alot of history, but wasn't in the line of fire.

Cockspur Island?

^^^

Yep.

When Point Loma was finished its first order fresnel would not fit since it had been designed for Lewis lamps, so a third order was installed. Where did the first order go?

Cape Flattery


Judy

Exactly right. Sometimes its seems like they play musical lantern rooms, the way fresnels are moved around. Your turn Lighthouser.

In 1999, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse was moved approximately 1600 feet from the ocean.

How close to the ocean was the lighthouse when it was first lit in 1870?

Judy

1600 feet.

John, you got it!
Your question next.

Judy

Who let John play? He hasn't been too timely lately!

Just kidding John, I know you are very busy.

I think we've waited long enough for John.

Anyone have a new question?

Name the 5 newest lighthouses in the US, and when they were built.

We may need a definition to get this right, but here goes.
1962 Sullivan Is. SC
1958 Oak Is. NC
1950 Cape Sarichef AK
1950 Scotch Cap AK
1949 Long Beach Harbor CA
Good one again!
Revision:
1967 Ambrose NY
1966 Diamond Shoals NC
1965 Chesapeake VA
1964 Frying Pan Shoals NC
1964 Savannah GA
All Texas towers. You don't make it easy Tybee.There are more recent 'lighthouses' built by the Coast Guard, steel towers with no enclosure, like 2001 Chandeleur LA, but they don't seem like lighthouses to me.

^^^^

You were right the first time. I don't consider the steel towers 'lighthouses.'

You're up!

I think of the Texas towers as lighthouses, they were manned.
Which lighthouse was fueled by its own natural gas deposit, til it ran out?

Texas towers are lighthouses. They were active aids to navigation as well. Not liking them doesn't rewrite history. I bet the mariner in need of direction or warning or help was glad they were there.

There were also some lighthouses built later than Sullivan's that were replicas or reproductions such as Roanoke Marshes & Roanoke River lighthouses in North Carolina, which did not become active aids, but do serve a purpose of preserving history.

Onward to wvlights0 new question.

Judy

Its funny how each person counts lighthouses. For Tybee's question I was only counting 'official' lighthouses. To me a lighthouse has some part that you can go inside and is set into land (not a chain). Lahaina barely counts under this definition. When I am counting lighthouses I've seen, I counted Roanoke Marshes, since it is a replica and the original no longer exists. I did not count it as a lighthouse seen when I went to a Harbour Lights dealer in Nags Head, which is a replica of Hereford Inlet, since the original still exists. I did count it as seen when I saw Diamond Shoals, a Texas tower from the top of Hatteras, even though its was just barely and I have no picture to prove it.

As for the next question...
Which lighthouse was fueled by its own natural gas deposit, til it ran out?

I don't know the answer to the question, but back to the explanation of mine...I also was not including Harbour Town and the Governor's Lighthouses either (1975 and 1990) as they are not considered real lighthouses.

Barcelona NY, (also known as Portland Harbor)

Right Eric, your turn.

This lighthouse built between 1826 and 1827 was destroyed along with the island it stood on by a hurricane in 1846.

Many Florida lighthouses were affected by this 1846 hurricane, but I think only one also lost it's island.

Sand Key ?

Yes the lighthouse and island were both Sand Key. The Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 was thought to be a Cat. 5. Damage was felt as far north as Boston. Key west lighthouse was also destroyed, but the island was still there after wards, though only 4 of the roughly 600 homes on the island survived. Sand Key as an island would come and go over the years.

Your Turn....

What lighthouse toppled into the ocean, in October 1927, after the island it was on had been erroding into the ocean for several years prior?

Tucker's Island was home one of the first resorts and a 2 story lighthouse with a square tower centered on the roof. Built in 1868 the light served for nearly sixty years. Most of the island washed away in a storm in 1920. Tim Harrison's "Lost Lighthouses" has a series of pictures showing the collapse of the lighthouse into the ocean in 1927. (just happened to have it handy)

Laura, you are correct.

Your turn..........

Point Sur is on a large rock just off shore. In California, what is this known as?

I have tried without success to post a picture, but here is a link showing this huge rock.
http://marinas.com/view/lighthouse/165

Big Sur ???

No. Large rocks, just offshore, have a name. There are several of these along the coast. The low neck of land connecting to the shore is called a tombolo. The lump of rock is also known by a Spanish word. Hint: there is one (another large lump of rock just offshore) south of Point Sur that gave its name to a city.

It's a Morro.

Yes it is. Some of these morro rocks are so impressive. Your turn Eric.

This lighthouse has spent more time out of service then in service since it was first lit in 1825. It would first go out of service from 1836-1846 and then again from 1861-1866 only to be turned off for what the lighthouse board figured would be the last time in 1878. It was relit in 1978 and is still in service today.

Eric, was it also out in the 90s after Andrew? Not sure I have the right one.
I meant to ask before, how did you know the picture of Cape Fear exploding was really Hog Island? Very good!

Yes it was out again in 92-96 forgot about that... Seems this light has been around for 183 years and only been lit about 60+ of those years.

As for Hog Island, I have a book on the history of NC lighthouses and the pictures of Cape Fears' demolition are different than the one on Lighthouse Friends. I did some digging and found a book in VA lighthouse history and it has a nice photo spread of Hog Island's demolition. The photo on Lighthouse friends was one of those photos. Cape Fear lighthouse had trees and brush around the tower, Hog island was more of a denuded landscape. Here is a link to the Virgina Lighthouse book's bit on Hog island. (may not work with Firefox)

http://books.google.com/books?id=h8ajK-9QWWsC&pg=PA54&lpg=PA54&dq=hog+island+destruction+virginia+1948&source=bl&ots=e95Hhjo_SI&sig=0GouUtxY6vQvKYdO2qJMeilliME&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=resulthttp://www.e-mailanywhere.com/#PPA54,M1

From the first contractor on his way by ship to build Cape Florida being lost at sea, to the attack by Seminoles killing one man, burning the tower and trapping the keeper at the top, to the impressive reconstruction led by a news paper editor, its a story that would make a movie few would believe.
Thanks for the information on Hog Is. I enjoy figuring out details like that also. Now I have the name of another good book.

OK Your turn Laura.

You are welcome for the link. If you want to see a picture of Cape Fear's demolition look in the book "Lost Lighthouses" By Tim Harrison

According to "Lost Lighthouses" Cape Fear had a first order fresnel, wonder what happened to that one?

Next question: Which Lake Michigan island gained a lighthouse and lost a king, both in 1856?

To answer your question about the lens from Cape Fear. An antiques dealer in Wilmington bought the lens and sold pieces of it for years. 2 of the flash panels are on display in the Bald Head Lighthouse keepers quarters. The Fall of 05 OBLHS newsletter had an article on one lady returning a prism she purchased back in the 60s. Look for the story on page 8 of this link. Actually now that I've looked back at that issue there is also an article on the history of Cape Fear light.

http://www.outerbankslighthousesociety.org/Documents/oblhs-fall-newsletter-05.pdf